Flora of North America species comparison

prostrate to erect, dichotomously branched, 3–20 cm, retrorsely to spreading- pubescent throughout.

erect to ascending, much-branched throughout, 10–30 cm, glabrous.

stipules ovate-lanceolate, 0.5–7 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade elliptic to oblong or ovate, or basal ones spatulate, 2–18 × 1–6 mm, herbaceous to leathery, apex mucronate to short-spine-tipped, moderately antrorsely pubescent.

stipules lanceolate, 2–5 mm, apex acuminate to long-acuminate, entire;

blade linear, 7–15(–19) × 0.4–0.8(–1) mm, leathery, apex subobtuse or minutely cuspidate, glabrous.

diffuse, flowers solitary (paired) in axils of leafy bracts.

5-merous, broadly ovoid, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx tapering distally, 2–2.3 mm, glabrous to strigose;

sepals brownish to yellowish, veins absent, subulate to lanceolate, 1–1.7 mm, leathery to rigid, margins whitish, 0.03–0.1 mm wide, papery, apex terminated by awn, hood obscure, small flange, awn straight to slightly divergent, yellow, 0.3–0.4 mm, scabrous to antrorsely strigose, spinose;

staminodes narrowly triangular, 0.2–0.3 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 1/8, 0.7–0.9 mm.

5-merous, ± short-campanulate, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx constricted proximally, 2.3–3.2 mm, hirtellous, glabrous distally;

sepals red-brown, veins absent to obscure, narrowly oblong, 1.8–2.3 mm, leathery to rigid, margins translucent, 0.05–0.1 mm wide, scarious, apex terminated by awn, hood conspicuously rounded, awn divergently spreading, 1–1.5(–2) mm, ± broadly conic in proximal 1/3 with yellowish, glabrous spine;

staminodes filiform, 0.7–0.9 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 1/5, 0.6–1.3 mm.

ellipsoid to subglobose, 0.5–0.8 mm, essentially smooth, glabrous.

ovoid, 1.2–1.5 mm, minutely papillose distally.

terminating branchlets, 10–40+-flowered, repeatedly forked and diffuse, clusters 1–3 cm wide.